All Features articles – Page 8
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Newark School of Violin Making: Fifty years young
The Strad looks back on 50 years of the UK’s best-known institution for lutherie and the many well-known names who have passed through its doors as students
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String education in regional Western Australia: Sitting on a gold mine
In exploring the past and present of string teaching in regional Western Australia, Rita Fernandes finds examples of both progress and regression, all pointing to the fact that where there is opportunity, there is demand and potential
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The hidden treasures of Pietro Guarneri of Mantua
Pietro Guarneri of Mantua was an undisputed master luthier, even though very few examples of his work remain. Andrea Zanrè examines three ‘violettas’ that until now have been overlooked
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‘Play to the exit sign!’ - Pinchas Zukerman: A matter of time
Pauline Harding visits Dallas, Texas, to chat with violinist– violist Pinchas Zukerman about his illustrious past, a new masterclass series at Meadows School of the Arts, and his hopes for the future of technology in string teaching
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Session Report: A Precious Gift - Playing Britten’s viola
Benjamin Britten’s 19th-century viola was a present to him from Frank Bridge. Violist Hélène Clément speaks to Carlos María Solare about recording an album featuring music by both composers on which this remarkable instrument takes centre stage
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'The better my body is working, the more efficient I can be' - Elena Urioste: She’s like a rainbow
The award-winning violinist Elena Urioste has many strands to her career. She speaks to Toby Deller about making her BBC Proms debut, yoga, chamber music with friends, and how she kept the music alive during lockdown
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‘Interventions led to an almost total removal or retouching of the original materials’ - Comparing three 1734 Guarneris
Giacomo Fiocco explains the technical methods used to analyse a trio of 1734 Guarneris
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Revealing Sartory's secrets: A look at one of the 20th century's finest bow makers
Often called the finest bow maker of the 20th century, Eugène Sartory was a fastidious artisan whose work shows efficiency and reliability. Richard Morency examines a bow from Sartory’s middle period to reveal his working methods
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Musicians and exercise: Can a keep fit regime make you a better string player?
Violinist, researcher and consultant Berenice Beverley Zammit explains how physical exercise and simulation of the live concert environment can help string players and other musicians perform more efficiently under pressure
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Lost arts of string playing: Unlocking the secrets of the past
Did the great string players of old know something that we didn’t? Some of today’s virtuosos reveal to Charlotte Gardner the various technical and musical tools of the trade that are in danger of being lost in the current pursuit of perfection
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Bach Second Cello Suite – Prelude: A small but crucial omission
The final five bars of the Prelude to Bach’s Second Cello Suite are often misinterpreted by performers, argues Mats Lidström, Leo Stern Professor of Cello at London’s Royal Academy of Music. Here he traces the source of the problem back to the ink- and paper-saving abbreviations of Baroque composers
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François-Nicolas Voirin: The Second Tourte
The bows of François-Nicolas Voirin had more influence than those of any other bow maker after F.X. Tourte. In the first of two articles, Matt Wehling explores Voirin’s life and career, and examines why his bows were so successful with players
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Bach Cello Suites: What do we really know about Bach’s Cello Suites?
Bach’s sublime Six Suites for solo cello are possibly the most frequently published works in western music history, yet their source editions are shrouded in mystery. Cellist and writer Jeffrey Solow puts forward an intriguing new theory as to their origins
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Brodsky Quartet at 50: Life is an adventure
The Brodsky Quartet is celebrating 50 years of pioneering music making that spans genres from Beethoven to Björk and beyond. Amanda Holloway catches up with the four musicians during their anniversary tour
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Session Report: Second Viennese journey
Sara Wolstenholme and Christopher Murray, both of the Heath Quartet, talk to Toby Deller about their pre-pandemic recording of intense Second Viennese School quartets – music from another time and place, in more ways than one
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G.B Guadagnini’s 1773 ‘Cozio’ viola: The only constant is change
The commercial relationship between G.B. Guadagnini and Count Cozio di Salabue allowed the luthier greater freedom to experiment. Alberto Giordano and Barthelemy Garnier examine a 1773 viola to show how the 62-year-old maker continued to adopt new methods and ways of working in this period
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Serbian string playing: Free spirits
The Serbian school of string playing, characterised by its startling originality, developed out of the Balkan nation’s chequered history and unique place in Europe in the 20th century, finds Jacqueline Vanasse
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Session Report: Looking to the future
Tim Homfray speaks to members of the Navarra Quartet, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year and recently welcomed two new players, about recording chamber works by Edward Gregson
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Fluorescence: Reflected glories
Viewing instruments in different kinds of light has become standard in documentation and assessment. Leonhard Rank explains how, in addition to ultraviolet light, researchers can now use infrared, and even parts of the visible spectrum, to reveal even more secrets
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Adult beginner cello: Never too late to learn
When Billy Tobenkin decided to learn the cello from scratch at 25, he ignited a lifelong passion. He shares what turned out to be a bumpy but ultimately deeply fulfilling journey